85 years ago, the Great Patriotic War began. The war machine of Nazi Germany launched a treacherous attack against Soviet cities and villages and committed unprecedented atrocities against Soviet citizens. The peoples of the Soviet Union rose to defend their common Motherland and paid an enormous price for peace, freedom, and the right to live on their own land.
On June 17–18, 2026, CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov visited sections of the State Border of the Republic of Belarus with Poland and Lithuania.
On June 18, 2026, the 24th Meeting of the Interstate Commission for Military-Economic Cooperation of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (ICMEC CSTO) was held in Minsk on the sidelines of the 3rd International Security Industry Exhibition “National Security. Belarus 2026”. The meeting was chaired by Dmitry Stefanovich, Head of the Belarusian National Section of the ICMEC and Deputy Chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry of the Republic of Belarus.
On June 18, 2026, the 2nd Military-Economic Conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, entitled “Development of Cooperation among the Defense Industries (Military-Industrial Complexes) of the CSTO Member States: 20 Years of Practical Cooperation”, was held in Minsk on the sidelines of the 3rd International Security Industry Exhibition “National Security. Belarus 2026”. The event brought together representatives of relevant ministries, agencies, defense enterprises, and other institutions and organizations of the CSTO member states.
6th meeting of the CSTO Coordinating Council on Biological Security held in Saratov
02.06.2026
From June 1 to 3, Saratov (Russian Federation) is hosting a series of events involving the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization aimed at strengthening the collective response system to biological threats.
The central event of the first day was the 6th meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Authorized Bodies of the CSTO Member States on Biological Security, chaired by Head of Rospotrebnadzor and Chief State Sanitary Physician of the Russian Federation Anna Popova. The meeting was attended by representatives of relevant ministries and agencies of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as the CSTO Secretariat.
During the meeting, participants exchanged assessments of the biological situation in the CSTO area of responsibility and approved the Action Plan of the Coordinating Council for 2026–2028.
The members of the Coordinating Council agreed on a draft document establishing a CSTO Basic Organization for Research on Biological Security Issues. It is proposed that this status be granted to the Microbe Anti-Plague Research Institute of Rospotrebnadzor.
An important outcome of the meeting was the approval of a draft joint assessment of the biological security situation within the CSTO framework, which will help develop a comprehensive understanding of risks and determine future priorities for collective action. The participants also considered a proposal by the Russian side and the CSTO Secretariat regarding the development of a conceptual document on the advancement of the biological security system of the CSTO member states in the medium term.
The 7th meeting of the Coordinating Council is scheduled to take place in Saint Petersburg in December 2026.
On the same day, Anna Popova officially opened the First Conference with International Exercises of the CSTO Member States on Response to Biological Threats and delivered opening remarks. Welcoming addresses were also delivered by Governor of the Saratov Region Roman Busargin, CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov, and Director of the Microbe Institute Vladimir Kutyrev.
During the first plenary session, heads of the national delegations to the Coordinating Council presented reports on the biological security situation in their respective countries. CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov also addressed the participants, focusing on the CSTO’s activities at the present stage and emphasizing the need to further strengthen comprehensive cooperation among member states in the field of biological security.
The exercises, which began on June 2, involve more than 100 specialists from sanitary and epidemiological services and health ministries of the CSTO member states. The exercises will continue through June 3. In field conditions, the teams are practicing rapid logistics, information exchange, biological risk assessment, and risk management in response to a simulated outbreak of a particularly dangerous infectious disease.
The exercises are supported by multifunctional mobile laboratories operated by Rospotrebnadzor, including those of specialized anti-epidemic teams, mobile detection and monitoring laboratories, and portable mobile laboratory units. These facilities are capable of independently conducting up to 1,000 tests per day directly at outbreak sites. Today, the CSTO member states collectively possess more than 100 such mobile laboratories equipped with modern Russian-made equipment.
The events being held in Saratov clearly demonstrate the shared commitment of the CSTO member states to deepening cooperation and strengthening the collective biological security system.
